


The Long Way Around Verse

by sleepyjeesh



Category: Naruto
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-26
Updated: 2014-02-28
Packaged: 2018-01-13 20:18:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1239484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepyjeesh/pseuds/sleepyjeesh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reconciliation is in order, even if they have to take the hard road. It's not easy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> What is the start of a collection of one-shots belonging to the same universe. Post-war except war never really happened but Akatsuki is still out there doing things. I'm so good at timelines.

Peace was an illusion.

What people actually sought for was stalemate, a momentary pause in time between deaths, where the delusion can be told and rendered by feeble efforts. Ceaseless optimism leads to believe that this is the default setting of natural life, but that is all too mistaken. It is this monotony that is unnatural. There will always be suffering. As is the natural cycle of wildlife and nature, with creation must come destruction. With victory and loss must bring the distant gap between winners and losers. Warfare was the suffering of innocents at the hands of those who claim to seek the default.

The ringing of the wind chimed in the breeze, an unknown melody that journeyed with the laid out path in the air. Scrumptious scents of good food all mingled together to create a full course meal for the sinuses. Laughter of those who meant it, alongside plastered smiles that could be fooled for the signature ANBU. Bodies littered the streets - alive - walked and touched and yearned for another. Voices travelled and were heard, then became a thing of the past as they dissipated into the air.

Words spoken, and words that never got the chance.

Sounds. Silence. Sound breaking the solitude of silence. The sound of glass breaking against the solitude of empty hardwood floor.

Wait.

Kakashi paused. Alert, but not to the extent of getting out of his chair.

"I have a question for you."

"No, you cannot break my favourite cup under the assumption of it possessing an evil spirit, but thank you for assuming anyways."

Obito lifted his mask and furrowed his brows. "What? No. That's not what I was going to ask."

Kakashi watched his joke fly out the window where Obito had materialized from. Not saying that he came through the open window, because it was closed shut like how Kakashi always kept it. He was not settled enough to keep it wide open even in these times of stagnant amity. In fact, it was mostly to keep out the affable intentions more so than the hostile, such as work acquaintances and Gai. Especially Gai.

The dent in reality on the surface of the glass disappeared like a dying gravitational pull restoring itself. Obito stood there in the middle of his living room, only just noticing the broken pieces of pottery on the floor. "Oh. Crap. Sorry," he winced sheepishly.

Sheepish. A look Kakashi hadn't expected to see on someone of his caliber, but was steadily witnessing more and more of.

"It's fine."

"It's always 'fine' with you."

Because things were fine. It must be contagious.

Obito bent down to gather up the scattered pieces in his gloved hand. The hand that shouldn't have been there, solid and moving.

"The Kakashi I remember would've leaped at the chance to scold me for even the slightest thing."

Kakashi resisted the urge to start a sentence with 'the Obito _I_ remember...' because it was far too obvious.

"Why scold you when I can just have you pay for it?" Spoken like a true adult.

Obito looked up at him. "You know the money I have was all obtained through less than wholesome ways."

Right. "Then it's fine."

Obito barely huffed, which could have been mistaken for amusement but it was too brief to tell. "When did you get so apathetic?"

When did _you_ get so criminally involved to the point of leading a rogue S-ranked organization? Again, too obvious. "It's not apathy, it's maturity." Plus ten points maturity for that statement alone.

Obito held the broken fragments in the palm of his hand and rose. He looked like he was staring at Kakashi but was actually staring at the wall behind him. He looked like he had nothing to say.

"What was your question?"

"Hm?"

"You were going to ask me something."

Obito blinked once, twice. Then in realization, he formed an 'O' with his mouth and was about to drop his fist into his palm before Kakashi pointed out, "Glass." The black-haired man halted a millimeter above the sharp edges.

"It was a personal question."

"Do you remember it?"

"Of course I do!"

"So?" Kakashi waited, setting his book down for once.

Obito seated himself down on the windowsill, or just leant against it because there was little room for his cloak. He had a pensive look on his face, just slightly troubled and contemplative. It made Kakashi want to laugh, but was probably best not to considering his company.

"Is it about Rin?"

"Not everything's about Rin."

That surprised Kakashi, but he didn't let it show. Instead, he covered it up with jest. "I have a book to get to..."

Obito glared with his solitary eye and Kakashi should've felt bad for his insensitive comment. Actually, he should've been trembling in fear under this powerful and influential missing-nin, but Kakashi was never good at that.

Obito fumbled with his hands as much as he could without letting any of the pottery pieces fall. It made something in Kakashi's stomach turn, this broken image of his lost best friend mirroring that the state of his favourite cup. It wasn't even a good cup, it was shabby and old and wore down each time he used it, but he still liked it.

"Moral ambiguity," Obito said without preamble. "Zetsu told me about it."

Such a revelation to find out that criminals discussed topics other than unlawfulness and world domination. Not really, but it was a surprise to hear it from Obito. He didn't know why it caught him off guard, the fact that Obito conversed with other Akatsuki members, it shouldn't be unusual at all seeing he was their head. That was a fault on Kakashi's part, who was still holding onto an imaginary remnant from the distant past. Like he was still holding onto the nostalgia of his favourite cup when it was in ruins.

"He said the term applied to me quite nicely."

If the aloe vera wanted a visual representation of ambiguity, they need look no further than a reflective surface because they were a walking ambiguity between colour, mind, and species.

Kakashi then took Obito's words into account. "Are you wavering in your current role?"

"No." Shot straight down. "I don't regret much. Akatsuki is the home I built from scratch, my sole accomplishment. I'm proud to be its leader."

Sole accomplishment. Wasn't that a punch to the gut. But perhaps it wasn't fair of him to want to be Obito's accomplishment, a feat that caused the Uchiha's death. Obito was alive now, he had bigger aspirations than knocking a foolish brat into some sense.

"I can't say I agree with your ambition."

Obito didn't refute him, which was the ultimate sign that this man was not the former classmate he'd known all his life.

"Do you think it's a good thing? Being morally ambiguous."

Kakashi stared. Was this his roundabout way of asking if the present him was good? Kakashi was no consultant. "...It would be better to have righteous and benevolent morals."

Obito's eye spoke of boredom once he heard Kakashi's typical response. The man half-turned to look out the window.

It's true that the intentions of the Akatsuki leader became blurry ever since the reveal of his identity. But clearly not pure enough to see them as friend rather than foe. There were chances given, always opportunities to change and give this up, _Obito please_. And every time he'd give them an indistinct look of remorse and hostility, before showing them his back. He was now a wanted criminal, dead or alive, by all nations across the land.

Obito always had to be the weird one, even as a mass murderer.

"Are you like that now? Righteous. Benevolent," asked Obito with honest curiosity and a quirk of his lips.

Kakashi gave him a smile. "Not at all."

"I thought I changed your way of thinking."

"Well, for a long time I lived following your words, but seeing how you turned out over a decade later has really got me doubting where that path may take me."

"You must be disappointed."

"I was. But then I began to think, maybe it was my own fault for pushing this ideal onto the dead you. In my mind you were preserved as this immaculate hero, only because you were dead. It wasn't fair of me."

Obito seemed surprised, to the mildest degree. "I think I did something similar."

"You're thinking a lot these days. How out of character of you," jested Kakashi.

If this was the regular - no, the Obito that Kakashi had preserved in his mind all these years, he would have sniped with all his hot-headedness a fruitless argument. But there was none of that. Only a still calm that broke when Obito blinked up at him openly. "You think so?"

It was like he was a lost child, unsure of how to act, how to balance the good nature with the raging mastermind inside. Standing before him was a torn and broken man, held together by loose stitches and self-delusions. He hadn't survived the rock fall without repercussions, that much was obvious from a simple interaction. Sakura had diagnosed the severity of the brain damage by comparing with his old records, which explained his sudden change of heart but didn't do an inkling to justify it.

Was there even a remnant of the hero Kakashi had worshipped - had mourned - had been haunted by all his life - in there?

Obito ran a hand through the back of his head. "I've always felt a bit lost, like I'm not real. Everything I do or say is an act and I don't know who the real me is."

 _It could be a case of bipolar disorder, or ranging to the severity of a split personality, but we can't be certain unless we run tests_ , Sakura had said once.

Kakashi was no medic or even a therapist. "Just do what feels natural. Except killing people," he added the last part a bit hurriedly.

Obito stared absently before nodding slowly. "Natural...not sure how that feels," he admitted despite nodding.

"How about you try not thinking and just follow your instincts."

"Last time I did that I killed three shinobi."

Not such a good idea then. "Scratch that." Here he is folks, advice giver extraordinaire, Hatake Kakashi.

"Thanks for listening. I should go now," said Obito right when Kakashi could feel the barest sense of chakra heading their way.

"Wait," Kakashi stopped him before he sucked himself into that vacuum dimension they shared. "It's only fair I get to ask you a question in return."

Obito had his arm above his head and waited.

"Why did you come to me?"

"You should know me best."

"Not really. To put it lightly, we've been pretty out of touch this last decade."

"No, I mean, you should know me best. That's why I came to you. I wanted to let you know what was going on with me. Thing is...I'd like you to be the one who knows the most about me, even if it doesn't go both ways."

Kakashi widened his eyes when it processed.

"I'll fix your cup," said Obito, hesitating for seconds before Kamui teleported him away.

Mere seconds later, ANBU corps showed up where Obito had just stood.

"Just missed them. We sensed a foreign chakra here. Possibly hostile and belonging to a member of Akatsuki. Kakashi. Who was just here? _Kakashi_. I must request you put on some pants."

"Sorry. Not exactly the company I was expecting."


	2. Chapter 2

"This is serious, Kakashi."

Kakashi didn't think he gave any inclination of it not being serious. Well, he did with his slouched posture and hands loosely in his pockets, but that was normal. The Hokage knew that was about as serious as he got when being interrogated.

"Do you understand your situation? You're being suspected of affiliating with an S-rank criminal."

Kakashi understood his situation very well because he was with said S-rank criminal just a few moments ago. "I understand very well," he monotones at her.

Tsunade narrowed his eyes at his thinly veiled attitude. Had they been alone with just the two of them, this exchange would've gone much faster with a lot more flippancy. _Oh, you met with your former teammate who's now a wanted threat across all borders? We've all been there._ Cue stage laughter.

But right now, they had company in the room. Besides the ANBU who were practically part of the wallpaper. The high counselors and heads of Root were all assembled in the same room. It wasn't the Hokage's main office, they were situated at a different meeting room in the building for larger scale gatherings.

"As a Hokage candidate, you need to be careful. We've got our eye on you."

Kakashi nodded tritely. "Yes."

"Dismissed."

The jounin turned on his heel and walked out the door. When his chakra was felt to be sufficiently out of distance, their discussion began anew.

"I propose we rescind Hatake Kakashi's Hokage candidacy."

"And why's that?" Tsunade said disinterestedly.

"He is far too irresponsible and laid-back! He does not have the discipline to bear the weight of the village on his shoulders."

There was a murmur of agreement among the heads.

Tsunade sighed. This was going to be a long meeting.

It was a breath of relief to return to her office - almost, until she caught sight of the piles of paperwork on her desk. She decided to pretend to have not seen it for at least the next few minutes as she settled into her chair. Pulling out a canteen from her secret compartment, she took a swig and complained aloud, "Goddamn you, Kakashi. Making more work for me."

\-------------------------------------------------------------

_"I don't think Kakashi-sensei should be elected as Hokage."_

_"That's a surprise, coming from you. Is this for Naruto's sake?"_

_"No. Maybe in the future, Naruto could lead us, but right now he's far too young and inexperienced."_

_"So why?"_

_"I worry about...his hesitancy. I believe his heart will outgrow his sense of duty when the time comes."_

_"You mean to say his hesitancy about Obito."_

_"...Yes. I fear his attachment will be his downfall."_

_"Really? Because I think otherwise."_

\-------------------------------------------------------------

Hokage was an honour bestowed upon the most worthy, the revered and highly esteemed above all. Their hearts were to live on in generations to come, a symbol carved in rock for others to aspire. It was an honour Kakashi felt he didn't deserve.

If it was the decree of the elders, he would take the mantle upon his shoulders without question. He would lead the village to his upmost ability and become a pillar of the people. He would be a fine Hokage, one deserving of respect and awe. None should say he was undeserving of the title.

But as he gazed up at the rock cliff overlooking their village, he couldn't help but recall the memory of Obito's younger form staring up at the same picturesque busts. He remembered seeing the boy often, either standing in the middle of the streets or on a rooftop, just gazing upwards at a far-off dream.

He felt like he was stealing younger Obito's dream.

That was stupid though, because what did it matter if he was living out Obito's former dream? The real Obito - the one still alive and prowling around - had grown up to seek much different goals.

Kakashi let out a sigh. "At this rate you really will be dead-last, Obito."

\-------------------------------------------------------------

"Can you fix a broken cup?"

The pottery master behind the counter eyed this suspicious man with half of a distorted face. He had a black cloth wound over his left eye and wore a kind of kimono he'd never seen before.

"Depends. How badly did yeh done it?"

Obito dropped the fragments onto the counter, showing him the damage.

The potter whistled low. "Here's a pile of rubble."

Obito fidgeted anxiously. "Can you repair it back to its original state?"

"I don't know about original state, but I'll do the best I can."

"Thank you, sir!" He beamed.

The potter nodded. He'd never got such an unusual request from such a strange customer.

"Is it important to you?" The old potter asked, because he knew no one came to his place to repair a nearly destroyed clay cup without a reason.

"It belongs to an old friend of mine. But I broke it by accident."

He inspected the ruins with a careful eye, holding up a fragment to the light. "Hm. This cup was in bad shape even before you done broke it."

"It was his favourite."

"As they say, the more dents and scratches, the stronger the bond."

Obito wondered if that only applied to pottery.

The potter went to work by assembling his tools first onto his workstation. He sat down and picked up his tweezers when he halted to stare at Obito's unmoving form still in front of the entrance.

"...Are yeh just going to stand there? This might take a while. Feel free to run off somewhere else in the meantime."

"I don't have anywhere else to be," explained Obito.

"Then sit down, child. Can't leave a customer standing, it'll look bad for business."

Obito blinked, fidgeted in his spot, then looked around for a seat before awkwardly placing his rear end on the elevated wooden floor of the shop. His entire posture was stiff and unnatural, and he looked down entranced by the dirt on his shoe.

"...So, where are you from?" The potter asked as way of starting conversation. "You don't look like you're from around here."

"...I don't really have a home."

"A wanderer, eh? We get those a lot here at the border."

"...It must be difficult in these times."

"Yeah, just when yeh think peace has fallen across the land, it returns to unsettling times between former comrades in arms."

"That's a bit inevitable, isn't it? Humans are unable to settle and will always look for reasons to start a fight. It's a cycle that never ends."

"Yeh talking from experience?" The potter pointed to Obito's eye, past the obvious scars and lines. "There's a look in your eye one can only get on the battlefield."

"...I've lived through two wars." _Died in one and caused the other, but that's all trivialities really._

"Same 'ere. No one I loved survive, either in battle or the sanctity of their homes, they fell to the crippling horror of war. But I'm still alive somehow. An undeserving bastard like me gets to live..." He coughed. "So I recognize what that feeling looks like."

Obito frowned. "...Are you implying I'm regretting being alive?"

The potter does not answer and merely grunts, staying focused on his work.

Regrets. Obito hadn't dwelled on them much ever since he gave up the war. It was like he was in stasis, unable to yearn for the past and unable to move on. He was living in the present, day-to-day, while unknowing what the next morning would bring. It was odd not having a goal. Obito was never not passionate, never not had a goal to strive for, evil or otherwise.

"I don't know," announces Obito suddenly. "I don't know if I should be alive. I think I died a long time ago, and for a while I gave up everything, believing nothing was worth the pain and chased notions of fantasy. But now...I'm sorry. I'm distracting you."

"Yer yapping shouldn't be for some old man like me. Here - it's done. The pinnacle of my career."

Obito rose up to receive the renovated piece and simply gaped horrifyingly while trying not to show his true thoughts. To put it simply, the result was awfully hideous. It was bulky and misshapen, with pieces overlapping each other where they didn't fit, and the simple pattern that once embellished it was inconceivable at this point. He did not take it yet for fear of crumbling all the hard work in his hands.

"S'the best I can do. You'll have to make it up to your friend another way."

The Uchiha's shoulders sagged. "I already owe him a thousand times."

"You'll have your whole lifetime planned then."

Obito inwardly wondered if the man had done it on purpose, but deemed it best not to ask. He thanked him and handed him his payment, effectively masking his disappointment.

Apparently he hadn't masked it enough because the potter said, "Don't blame me. Yer the one who mistook my house for a pottery shop."

Obito widened his eyes in absolute shock. "What? You mean...you're not. But - well, why didn't you tell me before?!"

The old man grinned. "I could use the money." After a pause, right before Obito was ready to storm out the door, he said, "And it looked like the cup wasn't the only thing needing fixing."

\-------------------------------------------------------------

About two days later, Kakashi found his favourite cup returned on his kitchen table, accompanied by a little note with a sad smiley face and the words, 'the best he could do'.

Beside that mangled construction was a different cup, orange in colour and unfamiliar to his home, that was possibly worse off than the first, with another note that read, 'the best _I_ could do'.

Kakashi found himself snorting, an amused smile on his lips that hadn't meant to show.

Later on, his close companions would question the jounin's taste when they saw the pile of mush that was the only cup he ever seemed to use.


End file.
